The present invention relates to fixtures for testing Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and in particular to a test fixture which includes strain gauges to measure the deflection of the PCB when test contacts are pressed against the PCB.
The manufacture of PCBs often includes testing the electrical functionally of the PCB. Such testing may be performed by resting the PCB in a test fixture, and pressing test probe contacts against PCB circuit traces on the PCB. Such test fixtures are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,120 for “TEST FIXTURE WITH TEST FUNCTION FEATURE” and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,422 for “PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD TESTING DEVICE”, both inventions by one of the present applicants. Although the know test fixtures have provided means for testing PCBs, in some instances, enough force is applied to the PCB by the test contacts to damage the PCB. The '120 patent and the '422 patent are herein incorporated by reference.